With the assistance of Harvey County Economic Development, Burrton is taking steps to start an industrial park. Missy Ducimetiere, mayor of Burrton, said talks began a few years ago but never were finalized. When Ducimetiere took over as mayor in January, the committee reached out to her. When she attended her first meeting, she was immediately interested. “I said, ‘How can we do this?’” Ducimetiere said. The first step is estimating costs to add utilities to areas that aren’t developed. “We’re in very preliminary stages,” Ducimetiere said. She hopes to have the estimates ready for the economic development committee (EDC) by December. Then they would make a plan of potential areas with acreage available and potential costs. Then Harvey County Economic Development can give that information to potential businesses. “When the industries make requests, if we have properties that fit those parameters, the EDC can recommend Burrton,” Ducimetiere said.
Source: Harvey County Now

Why doesn’t Harvey County have a brewery? It’s a question enjoyers of craft beer, supporters of economic development and people looking for social spaces have asked over the years while watching neighboring communities. By fall, Butler County will have four. Reno County and McPherson County both support breweries. And Sedgwick County has had 14 different licenses granted for the establishments. The law in Harvey County is that any establishment with a liquor license—which breweries must obtain—has to derive 30 percent of its revenue from food sales.
Four Kansas brewery owners referenced the “30 percent rule.” “It’s a ridiculous rule,” Walnut River Brewing Partner B.J. Hunt said. “You don’t go to Dillons and say, ‘You bought four packages of hot dogs; you have to buy four packages of buns.’ Maybe you just like hot dogs.”
Adam Kraft, opening Park Bench Brewery this fall in Augusta, explained that he’d not have opened in Augusta, had the rule not recently been repealed in Butler County. “I would have sought out a place that didn’t have that rule,” he said. “It’s enough of an expense what I’m doing to start this up. I don’t have the capability to open this up and have a kitchen.” “The way the law was set up, it was literally impossible for us to hit 30 percent food sales without building a whole restaurant,” he said. “If you’re a beer-selling establishment, you’ll never be able to hit 30 percent food sales.” On Nov. 5, a question as to whether to opt out of the 30 percent food requirement is on the ballot for Harvey County.
Source: Harvey County Now